A story of brothers: Montreal teen writes book to raise awareness for Autism

As a child, Montrealer Anthony Antoniou saw his friends playing with their siblings and he wanted to do the same with his younger brother Constantin.

“When Anthony was younger he would ask me why his little brother wasn’t playing with him and we had to explain to him what autism was,” says his mother Johanna Choremis.

“I remember as a child, I didn’t really think it was possible to talk to my brother,” said Anthony Antoniou.

Constantin has a severe form of autism.

“There is no conversation. Zero conversation,” says Choremis. “You can’t ask him, ‘What did you do today?’”

She says 15-year-old Constantin understands simple instructions and can answer questions about his needs, such as “Are you hungry?” but he speaks very little.

Trying to make that vital connection

Seeking ways to connect, 17-year-old Anthony saw that his little brother was fascinated with balloons and balls. He decided to give basketball a try and that’s how the Antoniou brothers became closer.

“Constantin is very, very fond of balls,” says Choremis. “He can spend hours just playing with a ball. At home, the boys are lucky to have an indoor basketball hoop.”

Inspired by this memory, the teenager wrote a French-language book for children three years and older, Le gros problème de Noah, (Noah’s big problem), illustrated by Baptiste Amsallem and published by Bayard editions.

“Basketball because he loves tapping balls, you know, just playing with balls, bouncing them,” said Antoniou. “So I thought that would be a great idea.”

 

A book to raise money and understanding

The book follows the story of Noah and his brother Gabriel, diagnosed with autism, as the eldest brother presents a number of options to his younger brother trying to entice him to play together. He tries playing hockey, swimming, but nothing seems to interest Gabriel, until basketball makes an appearance.

Anthony wrote the book with the aim of raising funds for his brother’s school. All his royalties are donated to the Giant Steps Foundation, which finances the activities of the school of the same name, whose mission is to offer educational and therapeutic services to young people with a spectrum disorder, such as autism.

“It feels really good. I’m really happy. Like, you know, just to be able to give something to the community and do something that really makes not just them but me happy,” adds Antoniou.

According to Statistics Canada, two per cent of Canadians aged 1 to 17 have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and 73 per cent of them experience difficulties in communicating and or making friends.

“I want them to understand that, you know, autistic people are humans, too. And it’s like a person is not defined by the disability,” emphasizes Antoniou, adding, “a person is defined by, you know, other characteristics such as their kindness, compassion.”